


A Wretched Discovery

by bossxtweed



Category: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: M/M, the dinner party thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-04 06:20:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10985151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bossxtweed/pseuds/bossxtweed
Summary: Utterson and Jekyll spend a quiet evening together-- until Jekyll has a seizure during the night and Utterson learns something which shocks him to his very core. While this may appear in part of the third installment of the Dinner Party story, it also functions as its own story. Also posted on my writing blog.





	1. Chapter 1

Poole smiled as he passed his Master’s chambers; he could hear soft whisperings from within-- about _politics,_ no doubt-- and, because he **loathed** to disturb the gentlemen, he passed silently by. Should they _need_ him…

“Well aware am I,” spoke Utterson, whose body had stiffened as someone passed by, “that your servants respect your privacy, Henry, but I--”

Jekyll sighed and propped himself against the headboard. “Come here, Gabriel,” he smiled as the lawyer sat up and shuffled backwards to throw his body against Jekyll’s torso. “You have **no reason** to worry-- here are we _safe._ ” Utterson stared up at Jekyll and could not help but smile, too; his worries about Hyde faded as he gazed up at Jekyll’s eyes and the security-invoking confidence contained therein.

They talked and embraced and melted together into the late hours, falling asleep as a mass of tangled limbs, their torsos bare and Utterson held firmly against Jekyll’s chest. It hadn’t been an hour before Jekyll began to shudder violently. Frightened, Utterson awoke. Was Jekyll _dying_? Should he call for _Poole_? Or **_Lanyon_**?

“ ** _Henry_**!” he snapped, reaching forward to shake the man’s shoulders. “ _For heaven’s sake_ , **wake up**!”

 _“’s qui’ alrigh’,”_ muttered Jekyll who was quite content to sleep. _How could such a thing not phase him?_ Screamed Utterson internally.

“Henry!” he snapped again, finally succeeding in waking him. “You are not well,” he spoke breathlessly and stared at Jekyll’s face, amazed to see the effort with which he strained against the seizure. With eyes wide, Utterson stretched forward to measure Jekyll’s temperature with the back of his hand, yet quickly withdrew as the sticky sweat which beaded Jekyll’s forehead clung to his hand. Oh, he was _definitely_ not well, and yet--

“I am _fine,_ Gabriel.” The lawyer made to speak but Jekyll stopped him with an upraised hand. “It is **_nothing._ ** ”

“You would **not** grit your teeth were it _nothing,_ Hen-”

Jekyll rasped suddenly and Utterson could merely watch, horrified, as the chemist’s features altered and shrunk and dissolved into themselves. “Henry!” he cried and blinked and blinked again, but the horror remained before him, worsening every second.

It **must** be a nightmare--

If he could but _wake up--_

Utterson snapped shut his eyes and felt Jekyll, or what was once Jekyll, shift backwards in the bed. _Wake up,_ screamed Utterson, _there_ **_must_ ** _be an explanation!_

“Gabriel--” Utterson slowly opened one eye to verify the origin of **_that_ ** voice-- and immediately choked back a wave of bile.

“Please--” that wretched, little man! Had he _harmed_ Jek--

 _No,_ he realized suddenly, _he had not_ **_harmed_ ** _Jekyll, he--_

“Allow me to explai-”

“It is late and I must go,” Utterson turned around, sat up, stared at the floor before him. He had never before noticed the floor’s rich coloring--

He listened as a mass of fabric sank to the floor and turned to see Hyde buttoning Jekyll’s shirt. He caught Hyde’s gaze. “Gabe-”

“It is late and I must go,” repeated Utterson, whose throat felt tight. “I must go,” he stood and dressed, not sparing a glance towards Hyde as he left the room. His mind whirled with every step he took.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the same thing as previous, except now from Jekyll/Hyde's pov!

On the night of November 13th, Henry Jekyll went to bed as himself, comforted by Utterson’s weight upon his chest, the steady rhythm of his breathing, the warmth of his skin… if he could but _live_ in that moment forever! He had even neglected the draught, for he had consumed too much of it nearly a week previous and felt himself more than capable of warding off the change without it. Besides, Utterson was with him and if he focused on _this_ moment…

Only afterwards did he suppose it apt-- he must have grown _too_ comfortable, because he had just drifted off when his dreams altered and he heard a voice shouting his name. _“Henry!”_ Then was he shaking, both of his own accord and by a gently placed hand, but he wanted to remain asleep in that glorious moment-- _“For heaven’s sake, wake up!”_

He had before felt such sensations while he slept, but if he _remained_ asleep, it was possible they would pass without issue. _“It’s quite alrigh’,”_ he muttered, despite the sticky warmth which broke across his forehead and the convulsions which overtook his body. Gritting his teeth, he finally managed to open his eyes as Gabriel again shouted his name.

“You are not well,” stated Utterson, who appeared simultaneously awed and horrified. His horror only increased after he measured Jekyll’s temperature.

Attempting to comfort his dearest friend, Jekyll offered what he _hoped_ to be a smile, although he could not stop convulsing, and said, in a strained tone, “I am _fine,_ Gabriel!” Noticing that Utterson made to speak, Jekyll raised a hand to stop him and stated, “It is **_nothing._ ** _”_

Utterson made a sound, a strange mixture of a laugh and a cry, while Jekyll struggled to maintain himself-- he had time yet to run to the laboratory, mix the formula, suppress that _wretched_ part of his nature, and return to Utterson-- he could perhaps explain the seizure, but he could _not_ explain Hyde. Not in simple, _nor_ in scientific terms could he explain that man’s existence. He dreaded to alienate Utterson, his dearest friend, so he forced a smile around gritted teeth and fought against the inevitable.

It seemed like aeons before Utterson replied, “You would not grit your teeth were it _nothing,_ Hen--”

No. No, no, no; the seizure was too powerful and no amount of willpower could suppress it. He gasped, his lungs burning with each intake of air, and quickly tore his gaze away from Utterson because he did **_not_ ** want this-- _one day,_ surely-- but he--

He could breathe without struggle!

_“Henry!”_

Jekyll’s heart sank at the exclamation and he tore his gaze from his hand to watch as Utterson blanched and pulled away from him. Shifting backwards to rest against the headboard, he called out, “Gabriel--”

Cautiously, Utterson opened an eye and appeared all the more repulsed for having done so. “Please--” _just listen, hear me out, I can explain…_ but words failed him. He could feel Utterson pulling away; he was falling out of the lawyer’s favour; and nothing he could say would better the situation… “Allow me to explain--” he stopped as Utterson turned around. _I lost him,_ he thought; _I lost him._

“It is late and I must go,” stated Utterson. While he stared at the floor, Hyde stood and lost his trousers and grabbed Jekyll’s shirt, needing something to cover his deformed body. Utterson turned round. Their eyes met and he again attempted to explain. “Gabe--”

“It is late and I must go,” the lawyer repeated, “I must go.” Helplessly did Hyde watch Utterson leave.

 _Now you’ve done it,_ he thought, and tiptoed from the room to the laboratory. He shut and locked the door, concocted the tincture, and downed _quadruple_ the normal dosage, knowing well he risked death and yet not caring if that were the outcome.


End file.
